U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,759 discloses spectacle lenses designed for recreational activities, such as golf, hunting or fishing. Such lenses are divided into several zones, the light transmission characteristics of which are adapted according to the objects or the scene observed when these activities are being practiced. In particular, separate zones of the lens may have different light-filtering characteristics depending on a polarization of said light.
The field of view of a vehicle driver, a motorcyclist or an aircraft pilot has particular characteristics. In particular, it comprises two separate portions. A first portion of the field of view, generally a lower portion of the field, is occupied by the instrument panel of the vehicle or aircraft. The instrument panel often incorporates one or more displays, for example of the liquid-crystal display type. Such displays produce light whose polarization characteristics depend on the technologies used and on the ergonomic choices made by the designers of driver or pilot compartments. In particular, it is possible to consider two display technology families, namely passive-matrix displays and active-matrix displays. In particular, the illumination state of a pixel of the screen corresponds:                in the case of STN (supertwisted nematic) passive-matrix displays, to the emission of polarized light oriented at an angle of 0°;        in the case of DSTN (double supertwistednematic) passive-matrix displays, to the emission of polarized light oriented at an angle of +90°; and        in the case of TFT (thin-film transistor) active-matrix displays, to the emission of polarized light oriented at an angle of +45°.        
The abovementioned angles are given relative to a horizontal reference direction. When looking at the observer, the 0° reference direction is oriented to the right and the angles are counted positively in the counterclockwise sense.
The second portion of the field of view is occupied by the external scene, visible through the windshield or directly in the case of a motorcyclist. This second portion of the field in general constitutes an upper portion of the field of view of the driver or pilot. It is therefore located above that portion of the field of view occupied by the instrument panel. The light that comes from the external elements located in this second portion of the field of view is usually unpolarized, that is to say natural light. However, it may also be polarized following a reflection on a transparent surface.
The visibility of the instrument panel displays constitutes a major challenge in the design of driver or pilot compartments. This is because the contrast of the displays is attenuated by the light that enters the driver's compartment or into the cockpit, or which is present around a motorcycle driver, and which illuminates the observer and the instrument panel. It may then be difficult to distinguish between the lit and unlit states of the pixels of the display.
A dark rim is often placed above the displays of the instrument panel in order to reduce the amount of ambient light that illuminates these displays. However, such rims are not very effective, and they are unattractive and bulky. Furthermore, they may impede the accommodation of the driver's or pilot's eye when it moves from the instrument panel to the external visible scene, or conversely from the scene to the instrument panel.